within these walls (the future is born)
by tonberrys
Summary: Series of drabbles/one-shots about the Hogwarts staff. [1. Peeves & Hankerton Humble - Hankerton Humble is deeply honoured to serve Hogwarts as its first caretaker, but there is one part of the job that he could do without. / 2. McGonagall administers discipline for misguided retaliation.]
1. Table of Contents

This will be a collection of drabbles/short one-shots about staff/teachers at Hogwarts. The (generally unrelated) installments will span various eras and will cover characters both familiar and obscure.

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 _within these walls (the future is born)_

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 **Table of Contents**

2\. **Feeling Peevish** – [Peeves & Hankerton Humble] – K+ – _Hankerton Humble is deeply honoured to serve Hogwarts as its first caretaker, but there is one part of the job that he could do without._


	2. PeevesHankerton: Feeling Peevish

I'm a Slytherin at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments). This was written for Assignment #7, Games & Sports: Sophie's Sports Camp, Task #2: Paintballing \- Write about rivals fighting or arguing.

Additional prompts indicated in the notes at the end.

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 **Feeling Peevish**

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Hankerton Humble considered himself to be a patient man—mild in manner and exceptionally well put together, if lacking in breadth of magical knowledge. The students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry may someday eclipse him as they studied under the brilliant minds of Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, yet it felt like enough, contributing in some small way to the running of this remarkable castle. Perhaps the future would open up a world of safety, of learning, of pride in the gift of magic, thanks to the four founders who had reached into the chaos and led them all to a haven. That was the sort of history he yearned to be a part of-

 _CRASH._

Inspirational though the school might be, what his noble employers had failed to mention was the poltergeist born of their students' childish mischief. Peeves, he'd been named, and he was a peevish monstrosity, to be certain.

 _BOOM._

Sighing, Hankerton pulled his nightcap more snugly over his ears, cast a quick _Lumos_ spell to light his way, and stepped out of his chambers. Outside the window, Hankerton could see the bright curve of a crescent moon grinning down on them all—even the night sky was in cahoots with that hellion.

 _BANG-BANG-BANG!_

Whirring above him was a suit of armour, banging together a sword and shield in a manner that didn't seem particularly safe for schoolchildren, much less this spiritual embodiment of mischief. (Godric had insisted that the suits of armour looked dashing and chivalrous, and he wasn't wrong, but Peeves did not seem to favour the corridor outside of any of the founders' chambers. Hankerton would have found quiet, inanimate armour to be much more chivalrous, too.)

"Humble's hankering for a fight— _en garde_ , a fight into the night!" Peeves cried out shrilly, diving over him to drop the shield on his head. Or rather, that appeared to be the intent, if the cackling was to be any indication.

Hankerton dodged out of the way, punctuated by the clang of a shield hitting the stone floor, and whatever patience he had entered the night with was already spent. Only a month had passed since he had arrived at the school, and never before had Hankerton made an enemy so quickly. Maybe it was the call of his bed chambers that fouled his mood so thoroughly, but that exhausted call did little for his aim, and when he picked up the shield to hurtle it upwards at his foe, Peeves only swept to the side again.

"Whee-hee-hee!" Peeves spun rapidly for no more than a second before darting out of the armour, once again letting it fall right over the spot where Hankerton was standing.

Again, Hankerton dodged, narrowing avoiding a bash to the head, but the fact that Peeves was still waving his sword about was unsettling enough that he half-considered putting the armour on himself. Most likely, it would only encourage the poltergeist to fight on, but he wasn't convinced Peeves really understood completely that it was wrong to drop dangerous items of any sort on passers-by, especially items with sharpened blades. By 'understood completely,' Hankerton supposed he might actually mean 'understood at all.'

On the positive side of it, Peeves did not seem to actually want to skewer him tonight. When at last the poltergeist had zoomed away, wildly stabbing his sword at the air and making far too much racket for whatever dreadful hour of the night it was, Hankerton looked glumly at the abandoned armour and shield. With a sigh, he flicked his wand and muttered a quiet _Wingardium Leviosa_ , floating the armour down the hallway and propping it against the wall. For a tired moment, he stared at it, flicked his wand again to situate the armour a bit more neatly, then turned on his heels to go back into his chambers.

Echoing from down the corridor, he could still hear the delighted howls of Peeves carrying on with his nightly romp about the castle, but that felt like a concern for another night. If the first month was any indication, there would be many more to come.

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 **Additional Author's Notes**

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 **Applicable Hogwarts Prompts:**

Assignment #7, Games & Sports: Sophie's Sports Camp, Task #2: Paintballing \- Write about rivals fighting or arguing.  
Insane House Challenge \- 630. (creature) Poltergeist  
365 Day Challenge \- 117. (era) Founders  
Chocolate Frog Cards, Hankerton Humble \- Write about Peeves during the Founders' era  
Gris-Gris Bags \- (spell) Wingardium Leviosa  
Autumn Funfair, Apple Bobbing \- (action) Stabbing  
Writing Club, Disney Challenge, Supernatural Beings \- 1. Write about someone classified as a being; ghost, ghoul, vampire, werewolf ect.  
Writing Club, Cookie's Crafty Corner, Costume, Clown \- 3. Write about someone going to great lengths to scare someone  
Writing Club, Showtime, Devil's Carnival 1 & 2, Off to Hell we Go \- 11. (emotion) Excited  
Writing Club, Amber's Attic, Poltergeist \- 19. (character) Peeves  
Writing Club, Count Your Buttons \- 4. "Thriller" by Michael Jackson (Peeves isn't ACTUALLY trying to kill him, but the danger and laughing vibe)  
Writing Club, Lo's Lowdown, Character Based Prompts, Garth \- 10. Write about a lovable disaster  
Autumn Seasonal Challenges, Days of the Year, National Comic Book Day \- Use the prompt set [Boom / Bash / Crash / Bang]  
Autumn Seasonal Challenges, Autumn Prompts \- (word) Bright  
Autumn Seasonal Challenges, Air Element, Air Prompts \- (word) Sky  
Autumn Seasonal Challenges, Ravenclaw Prompts \- (trait) Methodical  
Autumn Seasonal Challenges, Autumn Astronomy Prompts, Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation \- (emotion) Frustration

Word Count \- 705


	3. McGonagall: Retaliation

**Note:** This was written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments) where I am a Slytherin.

Other Hogwarts prompts are listed in the author's note at the end.

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 **Retaliation**

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They were at it again.

Minerva McGonagall had never found her House to be overflowing with children of mild and quiet dispositions, but 1970 had brought a fresh wave of mischief. A year at Hogwarts had done nothing to tame them, and when she caught sight of James Potter boldly unleashing a body bind on Aster Parkinson in the corridor, she could already make a guess as to what the problem was.

"Potter hexed me!" the Slytherin half of the equation sputtered the moment she released him.

"I can see that. You are free to go, Mr. Parkinson," Minerva said curtly.

"Aren't you going to do anything about it?" Parkinson said in a huff, arms crossing tightly across his chest.

"I am perfectly capable of administering discipline without your assistance." The boy kept his arms crossed but withered just a little under her sharpening stare, and when she dismissed him again, he quickly complied.

Rocking on his heels, Potter barely even waited for his classmate to walk away before starting his defense: "Parkinson and Rowle-"

"I will be deducting five points from our House," Minerva cut in firmly, to which Potter crinkled his face.

"They cheated in Quidditch and were bragging about how they got away with it. It was obvious because Slytherin always cheats, but a little body bind can't be worse than that! If he wants to act like a snake, he can't need his arms that much. What was I supposed to do?"

"Casting spells on your classmates is not the way to solve a Quidditch squabble." Her expression was uncompromising, but she couldn't help the look she flicked over to the window. The goal posts were visible, and as much as she didn't want to, she did feel a little twinge of sympathy for his plight. She had experienced her own frustrations in the Pitch, back in the day... "I will speak with Professor Slughorn if you are concerned about this being an ongoing problem. Your responsibility is beating the Slytherins fairly. You are dismissed."

Potter still didn't look very pleased about it, but he nodded and slumped away.

With a heavy sigh, she shook her head. New faces came, year in and year out, but some things always stayed the same.

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 **Additional Author's Notes**

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 **Applicable Hogwarts Prompts:**

Insane House Challenge \- 693. "Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat."  
365 Day Challenge \- 176. (job) Teacher  
Marauders Map, Chessboard Chamber \- 119. (trait) Logical  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Cornish Pixie in Cameroon \- 16. (word) Mischief, 31. (character) James Potter  
Slytherin Speed Challenge (72 Hours) Buttons, Green \- 13. "What was I supposed to do?"  
Chocolate Frog Cards, Uric Oapley \- Write about receiving punishment from a Gryffindor Head of House.  
Writing Club, Character Appreciation, Sirius \- 3. (character) James Potter  
Writing Club, Disney Challenge, Characters, Chief Tui \- 3. Write about a leader  
Writing Club, Amber's Attic, Footloose \- 3. Write about breaking rules  
Writing Club, Lyric Alley, "You Don't Own Me" - 13. That's all I ask of you  
Writing Club, Adventure Zone, Magnus Burnsides \- 1. Write about someone who acts without thinking  
Writing Club, Sophie's Shelf, Guy Fawkes \- 11. Mischief

Word Count \- 370


End file.
